SKU: A0.802639

Michael Philip Batt, LVO (born 6 February 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director, conductor and former Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry. Having achieved substantial international success as a solo artist he is particularly known in the UK for creating The Wombles pop act, writing many hits including the chart-topping Bright Eyes, and discovering Katie Melua. He has also conducted many of the world's great orchestras, including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony and Stuttgart Philharmonic in both classical and pop recordings and performances.

Bright Eyes is a song written by Mike Batt and performed by Art Garfunkel. It was written for the soundtrack of the 1978 British animated adventure drama film Watership Down. Rearranged as a pop song from its original form in the film, the track appears on British and European versions of Garfunkel's 1979 Fate for Breakfast and on the US versions of his 1981 album Scissors Cut. It was the biggest-selling single of 1979 in the UK, remaining at number one for six weeks and selling over a million copies there. Richard Adams, author of the original novel is reported to have hated the song. A cover of the song was later used in the television series of the same name explicitly as its theme song.

Here is a lovely version thereof for a brass quintet and drum set, with the euphonium as soloist in the verses, harmonising by the French horn, muted 2nd trumpet for effects, the first trumpet in the choruses and the tuba supporting with excellent base lines. Your audiences will be intrigued, wanting to hum along!

SKU: A0.1028133

Hope Prevails

The composition consists of six movements and is for a Brass Quintet with guest instrumentalists of Oboe, Violin, Viola and Soprano voice.

The piece explores the moods that many encounter as they go through life from loneliness through to elation. the composers brother experienced these extreme emotions and it resulted in him taking his own life. This piece is dedicated to his memory.

The MP3 contains a very short extract from each movement that is a direct download from computer composition software and is therefore not of great quality.

The composer is looking for a group to record this piece. Please get in touch if you wish to be part fo a collaborative project perhaps as a school, college, university or other group.

The Struggle of the night - 4:09 in length:

The first movement commences with sonorous chord sequences and quickly moves to a lively section. The piece incorporates the tune of the Welsh National Anthem along with the hymn tune Cwm Rhondda. 

The movement moves between the despair and loneliness of the night that one can feel, even when sleeping next to a close partner, and the racing desperation of the mind, whereby patriotic affiliations will calm the soul at these times.  the movement finishes with the tune of Land of my father's resonating but even this is of no comfort, and the troubled mind lies awake and the movement finishes with a flurry of discord.

The Solitude - 5.34 in length:

The movement begins with a haunting melody led by the Oboe. the Horn soon joins in as do other instruments of the quintet. A simple Gregorian type rhythm and chant passes through the quintet with the Oboe leading the movement.

Crescendos and attacked notes give the piece a rise and fall showing the mood of the soul that alternates between a calm and a peak of mood as sleep is hard to come by and a restless state is invoked.

It appears that the oboe will be leading the soul into peace yet, at the last moment, the quintet joins in with chords of attack and crescendo followed by a sharp diminuendo to end the piece.

The soul has sought solace, yet, all they find is loneliness.

Brad's Broadcast - 3:01 in length:

The restless soul awakes after a restless night.  The world is full of voices, advice, motivation and answers.

In this lively movement, the soul searches for solace and finds sense from some sources, yet, the cacophony of contrary advice and the nature of some disciples of business and life coaches becomes confusing. there are some real gems of advice available, but, the noise of others drowns out the sense and sanity.

The soul manages to find some humour in the forums and media, they smile, but the relief is short lived.

The movement ends with all voices descending away in a glissando and silence is restored.

By His Own Hand - 4:26 in length:

This movement reflects the desperation of the soul. they have sought solace, humour has passed them by, they do not feel that they can continue to live.

The piece starts with a cadenza played by a viola.  A violin soon duets in this Jewish styled lament.

Throughout the movement the brass are spartan, reflecting the confusion of the soul. The ability to cling onto the world and to continue living is a losing battle.

The waves of the lament increase in their presence, but not velocity, for the depressed souul is reaching the point of no return and of no choice.

They will soon depart from the world by their own hand. The end ofthe movement is a descent and a unifying discordant sound as the soul leaves.

Dreaming of Heaven - 2:31 in length:

The soul is now rising and an ancient Celtic tune accompanies the soul in the form of a Soprano voice singing words of hope and light.

The soul's path is lit and the ancient bell of.

SKU: A0.940770

This is a meditative arrangement of a well known Norwegian hymn. The arrangement sets three verses of the melody 'bookended' by a mirrored introduction and coda. It was originally written for trumpet sextet and performed by the cornet section of the Band of the Welsh Guards, before being expanded to military (wind) and brass band formats.

In the hymn, one sings of a hopeful final journey to a place without worry or sorrow. The arrangement reflects the mood of these three verses, with increaing tension and movement through ascending lines as the journey progresses towards a final resting place. The hymn is regularly used at funerals and memorial services.

The text was originally old German and translated to Norwegian by Bernt Støyland in 1905. Translated to English, the text reads as:

I know a castle in heaven above,
shining as bright as the sun;
you'll find no sin nor sorrow there,
and never a tear is shed.

I am a weary traveller;
may my path lead me
from here to my Father's land;
God, bless me on my way.

We thank you for eternity
God the Father, one in three.
For you are gentle and mild to us
in Jesus Christ! Amen.

Note to conductors:

The opening and closing sections require precision in the start and release of notes for the chord progression to function. Attention to detail should be paid to each individual crescendi, diminuendi and articulation. This is excellent training for even the best of bands!

An optional vocal part is provided in both Norwegian and English, but the arrangement functions with or without it. 

Cues are written for important lines should players be missing, otherwise many of the parts are doubled across the band. Therefore this arrangement should be playable by bands from approximately 2nd/3rd division upwards even if some players are missing.

SKU: A0.975886

 This is a tonal, classical style song in 6/8 rhythm at Andante, mostly, accompanied by Oboe, 3 Horns and Tuba. The lyric, by Henry Fielding (1723), is about the wooing of a young lovely, with attendant difficulties. Duration = 7 minutes 14 seconds.

Besides the score and parts, there is also included a piano + vocal score. This can be used for performance (without the small ensemble), or for preparation for performance of the singer with the small wind-band. Note: the instrumental coda is a little shorter in the piano version, therefore the piano should not be used together with the wind-band.

SKU: A0.773497

This song was the second UK number single for the Manchester rock band, Oasis. The song took on a renewed meaning following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. The song was sung by students of Manchester's Chetham's music school on 23 May, and on 25 May it was spontaneously sung by the crowd gathered for a minute of silence in the city centre. The woman who started the singing told The Guardian, I love Manchester, and Oasis is part of my childhood. Don't Look Back in Anger--that's what this is about: we can't be looking backwards to what happened, we have to look forwards to the future. It was performed by Coldplay's Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland on either side of Ariana Grande at the One Love Manchester concert on 4 June 2017. Duration: 3.30 www.maxstannardmusic.com @MStannardMusic .

SKU: A0.1005661

The Sinfonia (three-part inventions) of J. S. Bach were written as keyboard teaching pieces for his children. As such, most pianists whir through them at often blistering tempi, often obscuring the wonderful music contained therein.  This adaptation suggests a much more moderate tempo, and allows the timbre of the three instruments to differentiate the three voices and the wonderful counterpoint which makes up the piece.  Notes in parenthesis suggest breathing spots (in place of the notes, if necessary).  This is a great recital piece or concert opener.

SKU: A0.802438

This seductive song saw the top of many international charts after Roberta Flack's recording thereof. Here it is presented as a brass quintet version for your enjoyment.

SKU: A0.951634

First sung by William Frawley, then sung in the generally known version immediately thereafter by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in the motion picture The Lemon Drop Kid, which was filmed in July and August 1950 and released in March 1951. The first recorded version was sung by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards on September 8, 1950 with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra and the Lee Gordon Singers.